573681 iTunes Grainger.qxp_573681 iTunes Grainger 24/04/2018 12:48 Page 1 WIND BAND CLASSICS Percy GRAINGER Complete Music for Wind Band • 3 The Immovable Do A Lincolnshire Posy Hill-Song No. 1 Hans Knut Sveen, Organ Royal Norwegian Navy Band Bjarte Engeset 573681 iTunes Grainger.qxp_573681 iTunes Grainger 24/04/2018 12:48 Page 2 Percy Percy Grainger (1882–1961) Complete Music for Wind Band • 3 GR(1A882IN–19G61E) R 1 Recording the complete music for wind orchestra by studying piano and composition in Frankfurt, but soon The Lads of Wamphray March (1905/1937–38, composer and pianist Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882– touring as a concert pianist. Even though he composed ed. Daniel Schmidt, Joseph Kreines, Larry Clark) 7:33 1961) has truly been an inspiring experience for for many instruments and ensemble formations – for 2 everybody involved, enjoying the diversity and detailed example solo piano, choirs and the symphony orchestra – Chosen Gems for Winds – Anonymous: Angelus ad Virginem originality inherent in these scores. We have used the his special love for the wind orchestra was already (1942, ed. Barry Peter Ould) 1:59 3 instruments Grainger asks for, be it the Hammond organ, present in his youth. It is said that during his stay in The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart (version for wind orchestra) tin whistles, Swiss hand bells, bass saxophone or the London in 1901, he went to the Boosey & Hawkes shop (1918/1943–47) 12:06 steel marimbaphone. We have also enjoyed listening to regularly, always taking home with him a different wind 4 the lively, free and exuberant musical energy, and the instrument that he then taught himself to play. From 1914 Danish Folk-Music Settings – No. 10 (Suite on Danish Folksongs – III.) unique style of performance he conveyed in his Grainger served for two years in the American Army as a – The Nightingale and The Two Sisters (Nattergalen og de To Søstre) recordings as a pianist. bandsman, at Fort Hamilton. After settling in White Plains, (version for wind ensemble) (1922–31/1949) 4:31 5 Grainger’s close connection to Edvard Grieg, USA, he composed several works for the American Band The Immovable Do (or The Cyphering C) (version for wind band) (1933–40) 4:12 artistically and personally, dedicating many of his works to Masters Association and for the Goldman Band. He often 6 Grieg, is of course well documented in Norway. Grainger expressed his dedication to the wind band medium: ‘As a Chosen Gems for Winds – Antonio de Cabezón (1510–1566): toned down Grieg’s ‘Norwegian-ness’ and rhetorically vehicle of deeply emotional expression it seems to me Prelude in the Dorian Mode (1941, ed. Keith Brion and Michael Brand) 4:19 4 7 asked: ‘Is it not more realistic to view Grieg as a strictly unrivalled.’ He also considered the wind band to be a British Folk-Music Settings – No. 32, Ye banks and braes o’ bonnie Doon cosmopolitan sophistication that entered into and much more suitable and well-balanced medium for the (version for wind band) (1901/1932–37) 2:36 enriched Norwegian music through the agency of one transcription of early music than the symphony orchestra. man?’ 1 The two met late in Grieg’s life, in 1906, while Twenty-three transcriptions for wind orchestra were British Folk-Music Settings – No. 34, A Lincolnshire Posy preparing a planned performance of Grieg’s Piano published as a series entitled Chosen Gems for Winds , an 8 (1934–37, ed. Frederick Fennell) 16:22 Concerto . The performance never materialised due to idea connected with his teaching at Interlochen Music 9 Dublin Bay (Lisbon) 1:30 Grieg’s death in 1907. Grainger said in a letter that ‘of all Camp in Michigan during 1937–44. In the 1930s Grainger 0 Harkstow Grange 2:52 the composers who have ever existed, Grieg and Bach met specialists on early music such as Gustave Reese, ! Rufford Park Poachers 4:19 are the ones I love most.’ 2 Also, Grieg formulated his Arnold Dolmetsch and Dom Anselm Hughes, inspiring @ The Brisk Young Sailor 1:45 admiration for Grainger in a letter: ‘I really care for you! many of these settings of music by others, ranging from Lord Melbourne 3:25 # For your refreshing and healthy view of art and for your the Medieval, through to Bach, and on to modern The Lost Lady Found 2:28 3 $ unspoiled nature, not yet corrupted by “High-life”.’ composers such as Fauré and Franck. Many of these Chosen Gems for Winds – Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377): Grainger sometimes mentioned the strong influence arrangements were first performed at the musical summer Ballade No. 17 (1940–42, ed. Barry Peter Ould) 2:17 Grieg had on his own style. Also interesting, but at the camps at Interlochen, with Grainger using his idea of % same time potentially embarrassing for us Norwegians, is ‘elastic scoring’ which made it possible to perform the Chosen Gems for Winds – John Jenkins (1592–1678): Grainger’s intensive focus on the Nordic, being it Norway music with almost any combination of winds. Typical of Five-Part Fantasy No. 15 (1933–37/1941–53, ed. Stephen Carpenter) 3:39 ^ or other Nordic countries. This is not so surprising given his wind band sound is the inclusion of ‘tuneful Hill-Song No. 1 (version for wind ensemble) (1901–02, ed. Alan Stout) 12:45 that his wife Ella Viola Ström was Swedish. But Grainger’s percussion’ – he even had some special melodic ‘Nordic-ness’ went further: he expressed the hope that percussion instruments made in co-operation with the 1 2 $ % ^ 3 4 America and Australia would be re-Scandinavianising Deagan company. Publishers: Carl Fischer, Inc. , Ba5r d7 ic Edition , K6almus/Bardic Editio8n #, Schott Music , themselves: a return to the ‘affirmative life-worship and Grainger was a pioneer in experiments of electronic G. Schirmer, Inc. , R. Smith / Jensen , Ludwig Masters – robust selfhood so characteristic of Scandinavian art’. music. At a late stage in his life he was developing a Born in Melbourne in 1882, Grainger left Australia for special, hard to grasp, concept of ‘free music’, involving Europe with his mother when he was only 13, at first ‘free music machines’. He became increasingly focused 573681 iTunes Grainger.qxp_573681 iTunes Grainger 24/04/2018 12:48 Page 4 1 3 on freeing music from regular rhythms and pitches. The Lads of Wamphray March The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart Grainger opposed strongly what he called ‘the Unconventional as he was, Grainger was looking to the Roman Empire conception of life’ (a privileged elite future while at the same time returning to the basic roots This march was originally written by Grainger in 1905. It is This is one of Grainger’s last compositions for wind served by slaves). 6 On the contrary he quite often of music. Early in his career he became interested in based on a Scots Border Ballad setting composed a year orchestra, commissioned in 1947 to commemorate the expressed strong sympathies for a ‘Nordic way of life’. In studying and collecting folk music, and could be earlier for his mother’s birthday which was scored for 25th anniversary of the League of Composers and also the score, two of the main themes are identified as ‘the described as an early Ethnomusicologist. He collected double men’s chorus and orchestra (or two pianos). The the 70th birthday of Edwin Franko Goldman. Grainger had lonely man theme’ and ‘the Power of Rome theme’, the British, American and Danish folk music and a large part text in that early setting was drawn from Walter Scott’s problems with the deadline for the commission, so he first in a rubato character, the latter more menacing, of his music for wind orchestra is based on such folk Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border , but musically no folk decided to re-score a work for the occasion. His working always growing in force. At the end of the work, Grainger tunes. song material was used. The poem celebrates a bloody on The Power of Rome had begun in 1918, and in 1943 concludes in a very sincere atmosphere by quoting the Grainger was indeed an innovative composer – for skirmish between two clans in 1593: he had scored it for full symphony orchestra and organ. second theme from his setting of the folk song The Power example, his early work Hill-Song No. 1 from 1902, is full He explained his decision in the following way: ‘As it takes of Love from his Danish Suite . He counted The Power of of new scales, changing irregular meters, new concepts For where eer I gang, or eer I ride, me about 20 years to finish a tone-work, the best thing I Rome to be one of his best compositions, but also once of form and free polyphony. He also invented his own The lads o Wamphray’s on my side. could do was to fix up my Power of Rome so it could be said that ‘It simply is grouchy. It simply grumbles at the English vocabulary for his scores, with terms like ‘reedy’, For of a’ the lads that I do ken, played without strings.’ The setting from 1947 is also his sad condition of tyranny and torturing.’ 7 ‘gracefully’, ‘angrily’, ‘feelingly’, ‘clingingly’, ‘louden/ The lads o Wamphray’s king o men. largest work for winds. It calls for an organ to supplement 4 soften’, etc. the large wind orchestra, and there are important parts for The Nightingale and The Two Sisters His more personal and private eccentricities can be This was Grainger’s first large work for wind band, and it harps, pianos, and ‘tuneful percussion’.